Special Olympics athlete from Timmins promotes partnership with Tim Hortons

Julia Romualdi, 29, of Timmins is a Special Olympics athlete is the face of a current Tim Hortons fundraising campaign. Lydia Chubak reports.

Julia Romualdi, 29, of Timmins, is a Special Olympics athlete.

She’s also a national ambassador, helping to promote a fundraising campaign in partnership with Tim Hortons.

The Special Olympics doughnut is now on sale until Feb. 2 with all proceeds going directly to Special Olympics Canada.

“More work does have to be done for Special Olympics because Special Olympics is everything,” Romualdi said.

“It gives them a chance to play sports and helps them to go out and compete and they just want to have fun and make new friends.”

She began figure skating at the age of five and continues to compete. Her first coach is proud of all her accomplishments.

“As we watched Julia grow up, we knew that she had a special gift,” said Cathy Davis, a volunteer with Special Olympics.

Efforts took her to Germany

“She found her voice and she knew how to put these amazing messages together. We, you know, taught her the ropes on how to stand at a podium and how to speak (in public).”

Romualdi’s efforts have taken her to many parts of the world, including Berlin. Two years ago, she was asked to be part of a global athlete inclusion program and since then, she’s helped bring that initiative to local schools.

“It’s called unified sports and leadership and programming, so kids coming together and being on the same team involved in unified clubs and schools,” said Karen Romualdi, Julia’s mother.

“It’s just a wonderful concept and it’s all about inclusion.”

Julia Romualdi felt the love in one of her hometown Tim Hortons locations Friday, as some of her biggest fans and supporters came to purchase doughnuts and cheer her and other athletes on with their future endeavours.